Eastern Calabria was once home to a flourishing civilisation, founded by Greeks who landed there in the early eighth century BC. They established the very first Greek colony on the Ionian coast and thanks to the colonists’ winemaking expertise coupled with the local conditions, the wines of Cremissa (the ancient name for Cirò) soon became highly sought after – so much so that they were offered as a prize to victorious athletes returning from the Olympics.

Calabria remains one of Italy’s least developed regions, famed for its wild, natural beauty, and it is only relatively recently that modern winemaking techniques have been adopted. In the 1950s that Raffaele Librandi and his two sons, Antonio and Nicodemo, took the decision to take their family vineyards, located in the town of Cirò Marina, on a march towards modernity.

Throughout their existence, they have not been afraid to incorporate external influences and employ the assistance of international experts, without ever losing sight of what makes their wines distinctively Calabrian. This has seen them invest considerable resources in cataloguing and maintaining 200 native Calabrian grape varieties in their experimental vineyards.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Librandi have been the catalyst behind Calabria’s resurgence. Today, the winery remains in the hands of the Librandi family, with Nicodemo at the head. He is ably assisted by his sons Raffaele and Paolo and his nephew and niece Francesco and Teresa.

Berkmann has listed a range of 7 wines from Librandi consisting of 3 whites, 3 reds and a rosé.